Wow! The color is lovely but the B/W is special! You have shown the struggle here so well. I feel for the smaller fallen branches and grasses tumbling in disarray. So evocative not only of this area’s struggle but of so many worldwide, extending far beyond the climate crisis. This one deserves a wider audience!
I don’t know if I have a preference, but I do like the BW, it’s even more abstract, although there is more contrast in the highlights in the color version.
The only suggestion I might have is to do a little dodging/burning to add a bit more local contrast. I feel like the grasses in the foreground could have a little more brightness, and it might help anchor the eye a little bit.
Right now my eye goes to the bright spot in the background and stays there.
I like the texture in the trees on the left hand side, and it might be nice if that side were brighter and balanced the bright spot a little bit.
Alternatively, if you wanted to lead the eye to the light area in the background, you could crop a little off the left side and dodge and burn to lead the eye right into the highlighted area.
Julie, That bright spot bothered me . I had a lot more wiggle room with that bright spot; so now it’s not so bright. Also some targeted dodge and burn.
I wonder now if I’ve gone too dark all over. It’s one of those images that could go either darker or very bright.
I like the RW! Brighter or darker are both good – your choice! The darker one looks like it still has a good balance of tonalities. And just for me, darker sort of fits with the mystery here.
First, may I ask which you prefer? Do you prefer to go by Glennie?
Definitely b&w for me. I love the stark contrasts, not only with the darks and lights, but also the visual contrast between the trunks and the bushes/grasses of the forest floor. It almost looks like multiple motions, but I’m reading just a single swipe. No matter of course, I just really like the effect in both the trees and grasses.
I notice since my last view you’ve added a reworked image. You nailed it for me! My initial critique was going to include something about the bright area separating the left and right. To me, the gap is too wide to be so bright. But I think you’ve done a great job and thanks for taking the time to repost.
The only other suggestion I have would be a slight crop from the bottom to reduce the blank, gray area LLC. That’s pretty nitpicky though. I love the rework as presented.
At least for me, the color version doesn’t work as well simply because the colors introduce another element to complicate things. But then again, the more I look at it, the more it grows on me.
Lon, Glennie seems to have stuck from my childhood name still used by close family and good, old friends…along with my other childhood name, “Stinky”. My grownup friends call me Glenys. I guess I prefer Glennie.
I thought about that LLC. I think there is still room for improvement there. I don’t mind it in the colour version for some reason.
And yes, one upward swipe. I try to hold focus on something in the foreground and sweep upwards. I seem to have the most success with that.
Thanks again for the kind and thoughtful comments.
Hi Glennie. Great eye to recognize this I probably would have walked right by it. I just recently started exploring BW so I prefer those, especially the reworked version. My eye keeps going back to the two bright specks in the fg and I would probably burn those down a little but definitely not a deal breaker. Very nice capture and editing all around. You know, the more I look at the color version the more I like it. The tones are gorgeous and any distractions as mentioned are less distracting. However the rework remains my preference probably because of where I am at this moment in my own photography. more than anything. Well done and cheers!
I noticed those little bright spots. They bothered me too. I did put a very low opacity clone stamp over them to tame, but as soon as the image was posted here, I can see I hadn’t done enough. Good pick up!
